WASHINGTON — President Trump can’t stop contradicting himself on his own tariff plans.
He says he’s on a path to cut several new trade deals in a few weeks — but has also suggested it’s “physically impossible” to hold all the needed meetings.
Trump has said he will simply set new tariff rates negotiated internally within the U.S. government over the next few weeks — although he already did that on his April 2 “Liberation Day,” which caused the world economy to shudder.
The Republican president says he’s actively negotiating with the Chinese government on tariffs — while the Chinese and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said talks have yet to start.
What should one believe? The sure bet is that uncertainty will persist in ways that employers and consumers alike expect to damage the economy and that leave foreign leaders scratching their heads in bewilderment.
And the consequences of all this tariffs turmoil are enormous.
Trump placed tariffs totaling 145% on China, leading China to retaliate with tariffs of 125% on the U.S. — essentially triggering a trade war between the world’s two largest economies with the potential to bring on a recession.
Trump’s negotiating trade deals with himself
The president told Time magazine in an interview released Friday that 20%, 30% or 50% tariffs a year from now would be a “total victory,” even though a financial market panic led him to temporarily reduce his baseline import taxes to 10% for 90 days while talks take place.
“The deal is a deal that I choose,” Trump said in the interview. “What I’m doing is I will, at a certain point in the not too distant future, I will set a fair price of tariffs for different countries.”
If that is confusing for the nation’s trading partners, it’s also sowing anxiety at home.
The Federal Reserve’s beige book, a compilation of anecdotes from U.S. businesses prepared eight times a year, on Wednesday reported a huge spike in uncertainty among American companies that has caused them to pull back on hiring and investment in new projects. The word “uncertainty” cropped up 80 times, compared with 45 in early March and just 14 in January.
Beyond the idea that Trump plans to keep some level of tariffs in place, the world finance ministers and corporate executives who gathered this past week in Washington for the International Monetary Fund conference said in private discussions that the Trump administration was providing no real clarity on its goals for substantive talks.
“There’s not a coherent strategy at the moment on what the tariffs are supposed to achieve,” said Josh Lipsky, senior director of the GeoEconomics Center at The Atlantic Council. “My conversations with the ministers and governors this week at the IMF meetings have been they don’t understand completely what the White House wants, nor who they should be negotiating with.”
Other countries trying to get talks going
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF released Friday, said after a meeting with Bessent that Switzerland would be one of 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations. But she said a memorandum of understanding would have to be reached for talks to formally begin.
She was happy to at least know whom to talk to, saying that “we have also been assigned a specific contact person. This is not easy in the U.S. administration.”
Nations are deploying various negotiating tactics.
The South Korean officials who met with their U.S. counterparts this week say they specifically asked for the tariffs to be lifted with the goal of working toward an agreement by July. The European Union has pushed for cutting tariffs to zero for both parties, though Trump objects to European countries charging a value-added tax, which is akin to a sales tax that he says hurts U.S. goods.
Trump continues to radiate optimism that negotiated deals with other countries will occur despite his claims that he will set his own deals and a lack of clarity about how the process goes forward.
“I’m getting along very well with Japan,” Trump told reporters on Friday. “We’re very close to a deal.”
As part of a deal with Japan, the Trump administration has publicly called on the Japanese government to change its auto safety standards that put a greater focus on pedestrian safety. But the steering wheels on autos sold in Japan are on the right-hand side, while U.S. automakers put their steering wheels on the left.
“I don’t think left-hand drive cars sell in Japan,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a parliamentary session this week.
“We want to make sure we aren’t seen as being unfair,” Ishiba said, suggesting a possibility of reviewing Japanese car safety standards.
Higher prices and shortages are likely
As Trump continues to make conflicting statements about tariffs, companies are actively looking at higher prices, lower sales and possibly bare shelves in stores due to fewer shipments from China.
Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport, a supply chain company, said on the social media site X: “In the 3 weeks since the tariffs took effect, ocean container bookings from China to the United States are down over 60% industry wide.”
Consumers are getting notices via email and social media from retailers that lamps, furniture and other housewares will now include tariff-related charges.
The showerhead company Afina on Wednesday reported on a test to see if people would buy an American-made product that cost more than an import. Their Chinese-made filtered showerhead retails for $129, but to manufacture the same product domestically would take the price up to $239.
When customers on the company’s website were given a choice between a showerhead made in the U.S.A. or a cheaper one made in Asia, there were 584 purchases of the $129 model made abroad and not one sale of the domestically produced showerhead.
Ramon van Meer, Afina’s founder, said in an interview that the “scale and the speed” of the tariffs were part of the challenge for smaller businesses looking to adapt, adding that part of the challenge is that Trump imposed the import taxes “without proper planning or announcements.”
He concluded in his written analysis: “If policymakers and pundits want to rebuild American industry, they need to grapple with this truth: idealism doesn’t always survive contact with a price tag.”
1 of 5 | Youssef Absi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the Orient, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem and head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church blesses the coffin during the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Saturday. Photo by Riccardo AntimianiEPA-EFE
April 25 (UPI) — Before scores of world leaders and Roman Catholic officials on Saturday, Pope Francis was laid to rest in a funeral mass live-streamed to the world less than a week after the pontiff died of a stroke and heart failure at 88.
This past week, tens of thousands of people paid their respects to Francis as “the people’s pope” lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
After his coffin was nailed shut Friday night, at 10 a.m. local time Saturday his funeral mass began at St. Peter’s before he was taken taken to Rome and entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
He was the first pope to be buried outside of the Vatican in more than a century. Francis chose that site because he prayed there often. It also was a site he frequented often during the worst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Nine days of official mourning began immediately at the conclusion of the funeral mass. Then, the College of Cardinals, made up of 252 representatives from countries around the world, will gather to launch the secret process to elect a new pope.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for frequent updates.
April 25 (UPI) — The U.S. Air Force will increase combat capability in South Korea, temporarily creating a new “super squadron” of F-16 Fighting Falcon military jets at a military base in that country.
The 31 single-engine supersonicmultirole fighter aircraft and 1,000 accompanied personnel will transfer from Osan Air Base to Kunsan Air Base over the summer ahead of planned military exercises in the fall, the U.S. Air Force confirmed this week.
The two facilities are located approximately 84 miles apart.
NEWS: We’re standing up a second Super Squadron at Osan AB. This temporary change allows us to test and validate force generation capabilities on the Korean peninsula, ultimately fostering a more lethal, ready air component…No doubts that the ROK-U.S. alliance is ironclad! (1/2) pic.twitter.com/8etw0QcZIp— General David Allvin (@OfficialCSAF) April 24, 2025
Officials believe the move to consolidate will “optimize capabilities and maximize combat effectiveness,” guarding against possible aggression from neighboring North Korea.
The Air Force first tested the “super squadron” concept last October on the Korean Peninsula to see if the idea proved beneficial.
Officials sad the large-scale test will have “no impact” on the Air Force’s ability to conduct other missions in the region.
“The past months of data reveal that we’re on the right track and the consolidated, larger unit has shown some increases in readiness and combat capability, while also exposing some challenges,” Seventh Air Force commander Lt. Gen. David Iverson said in a statement on the unit’s website.
“With this success we’re now expanding the scope, by consolidating the F-16s in Seventh Air Force at Osan, to further determine if the super squadron construct is the right path for future airpower generation here in Korea.”
“This temporary change allows us to test and validate force generation capabilities on the Korean peninsula, ultimately fostering a more lethal, ready air component,” he said in the post, adding there are “no doubts that the ROK-U.S. alliance is ironclad.”
“The Super Squadron test aims to increase sortie generation and combat capability, while enhancing readiness and responsiveness.”
The F-16 fighter was developed by Virginia-based aerospace and defense firm General Dynamics and first introduced in 1976.
More than 4,600 of the jets have since been built, with more than 3,100 of the planes currently operated by 28 countries, according to Lockheed Martin, which took control of the program in 1995.
The jet is the most common fixed-wing military aircraft in service worldwide.
April 25 (UPI) — Before scores of world leaders and Roman Catholic officials on Saturday, Pope Francis will be laid to rest in a funeral mass to be live-streamed to the world less than a week after the pontiff died of a stroke and heart failure at 88.
This past week, tens of thousands of people paid their respects to Francis as “the people’s pope” lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Now, after his coffin was nailed shut Friday night, at 10 a.m. local time Saturday his funeral mass will begin at St. Peter’s before he later will be taken to Rome and entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
He will be the first pope to be buried outside of the Vatican in more than a century. Francis chose that site because he prayed there often. It also was a site he frequented often during the worst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Nine days of official mourning will begin immediately at the conclusion of the funeral mass. Then, the College of Cardinals, made up of 252 representatives from countries around the world, will gather to launch the secret process to elect a new pope.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for frequent updates.
World leaders paid their respects to Pope Francis Friday, ahead of his funeral Saturday, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. More than 250,000 mourners paid their respects over three days.
Stephen Hendry is convinced Ronnie O’Sullivan is showing the form that could bring him a record-breaking eighth World Championship title in Sheffield.
Scottish great Hendry was the Crucible king in the 1990s, and he and Englishman O’Sullivan jointly hold the record of triumphing seven times at the famous venue.
But that could change in the next 10 days as O’Sullivan chases the eighth world title of his career.
A brisk 10-4 victory against Ali Carter in round one allowed O’Sullivan to brush off the cobwebs, having not played in professional competition since snapping his cue in frustration at the state of his game in January. He has also been struggling with what he termed “stage fright”.
On Saturday, O’Sullivan begins his second-round match against 25-year-old Chinese player Pang Junxu, who beat Zhang Anda in his opener.
The contest begins at 14:30 BST and spans three sessions across three days, finishing on Monday evening.
As long as O’Sullivan’s focus holds, his prospects look increasingly good because his game appeared in decent shape against Carter.
It does his trophy chances no harm that Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen have all been knocked out of his half of the draw.
Hendry already likes O’Sullivan’s chances.
He told World Snooker Tour’s Snooker Club podcast: “Even though he will deflect away from his chances of winning this thing, I think the way he played [against Carter] definitely shows he is a contender.
“So I’m really looking forward to seeing how he plays the rest of the championship.”
Six-time champion Steve Davis considers snooker’s 17-day ‘marathon of the mind’ an altogether fresh challenge now the first-round stage has been navigated.
Speaking on BBC Four, Davis said those who have passed that examination of their credentials should be able to compete without feeling overly worried now the matches have shifted from best-of-19 to best-of-25-frame contests.
There is greater scope for recovering from a dip in form over the longer matches.
“I don’t think you approach it differently, but you are more relaxed from not having the panic of the first round,” Davis said.
“You know you’ve got to have an overnight sleep on a lead or a deficit and that can sometimes play its part.
“But just to be more relaxed, in as much as you’ve got a longer match, is handy, because you don’t have anywhere near as much of a panic if you have a bad mini-session or session.”
At the age of 49, O’Sullivan would be snooker’s oldest world champion if he takes the title on 5 May. He already holds that record following his victory against Judd Trump three years ago.
There were makeshift shelters at the Lushagala camp in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on February 3. The camp has about 10,000 people. File Photo by EPA-EFE
April 25 (UPI) — Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to work toward a peace agreement by May 2 after escalating violence in eastern DRC.
On Friday, the two nations signed a Declaration of Principles, pledging mutual respect for sovereignty and halting military support for armed groups.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened the two nations’ foreign ministers for the ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“Durable peace comes before economic development,” Rubio said. “It also will allow millions of displaced people to return to their homes to safer communities.”
Signing the pact were DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwanda Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
For the United States also on hand were Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos and Troy Fitrell, the U.S. ambassador to Guinea in Africa.
Rubio said signing the pact will open the door for “greater and broader investment, which would bring about economic opportunities and prosperity. And it also will help advance President [Donald] Trump’s prosperity agenda for the world. They call it a win-win for everyone involved.”
Rubuo stressed the importance of peace.
“Having both of my counterparts here, the foreign ministers of these respective countries, demonstrates the beginning of a strong commitment to having the conversations we need to have in order to reach a resolution,” Rubio said. “I’m proud to work for a president that has made peace, stable global peace, a priority of this administration. And today is evidence of that. He wants to see a peaceful resolution in many parts of the world.”
The Declaration builds on efforts by the African Union and other regional leaders.
It outlines a pathway to peace, stability and integrated economic development in the eastern DRC region, “which is vital to ending the conflict and allowing the region to reach its full potential,” according to a State Department release.
“The United States will continue engaging with both nations to uphold the declaration’s principles and support the crucial work towards peace and prosperity.”
Both nations declared their independence from Belgium in the 1960s.
The United States established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960, and in 1962 with Rwanda. The populations are 106 million in DRC and 14 million in Rwanda.
In 2023, an estimated 700,000 people were displaced within the DRC due to conflict, primarily in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
From Janusry to early March, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said nearly 80,000 people had fled Congo due to the fighting and sexual violence since January. In all, more than 700,000 have been displaced. A total of 895 cases of rape were reported to humanitarian actors in the last two weeks of February.
“Near the frontlines, sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant, as is the looting and destruction of civilian homes and businesses,” UNHCR Deputy Director Patrick Eba said in March 4 statement.
In March from Qatar, the two nations jointly called for a cease-fire in an effort to end warfare between them after 30 years of fighting.
A the time, more than 7,000 people died since January, after the armed rebel group M23 refused to participate in peace talks in Angola.
M23, backed by Rwanda, took control of eastern Congo’s two largest cities and a large piece of other territory in January attacks.
The United States has sought greater access to minerals now exploited maonly by China and its mining companies.
It’s now been 35 months since Netflix’s megahit horror series “Stranger Things” released new episodes. And while the eerie nostalgia hit is set to return for its fifth and final season this year, there are at least some options to help fans grapple with the last stretch of waiting. In this week’s Break Down, Ashley Lee gives a look at a new documentary about the making of its stage show, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which opened on Broadway earlier this week.
Also in Screen Gab No. 178, filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden drop in to discuss their film “Freaky Tales,” plus several titles to add to your watch list.
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YouTube turns 20 years old. How it changed TV as we know it: Over the last two decades, YouTube has transitioned from a place with amateur videos to one that’s become a major force in TV with billions of global viewers and hosting some of the world’s largest concerts and sports games.
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A rare snowy owl appears in a California suburb.
(Henry Tran / PBS)
“SoCal Snowy Owl” (pbs.org)
Chris Angel’s moving short film is centered on the mysterious arrival and monthlong residence of a magnificent female Arctic snowy owl on a suburban street in the Orange County town of Cypress from mid-December 2022 through mid-January 2023 — a rare event that drew crowds to the neighborhood and made national news. Broader scientific context and various hypotheses are briefly, not quite authoritatively offered, but above all this is a story of human connection and community, of challenged individual lives changed for the better by a bird, and of wild nature transforming the suburban environment. Residents, birders of all ages, nature photographers and local officials recall the magic days before “Snowy,” as the regulars called her, took off again, like something out of a fairy tale. — Robert Lloyd
David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow in director George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005).
(Melinda Sue Gordon / Warner Independent Pictures)
“Good Night, and Good Luck,” (VOD), “Glengarry Glen Ross” (Prime Video)
Most people will never see the recently opened Broadway productions of “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Glengarry Glen Ross,” two of the hottest — and expensive — tickets on the Great White Way. But there’s no need to fret. The excellent film versions of the narratives can be seen from the comfort of your living room. Set in the era of 1950s broadcast television news at the height of McCarthyism, the stage production of “Good Night, and Good Luck” borrows heavily from the 2005 film featuring George Clooney, who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay. In the film, David Strathairn plays CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow. In the stage version, Clooney — sporting a dark brunette dye job — takes over the lead role of Murrow. As for David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” the impressive Broadway cast includes recent Oscar winner Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Michael McKean in the newest portrait of desperate real estate salesmen dealing with personal and professional crises. The cast of the 1992 film is just as dazzling — Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris and Jonathan Pryce — and the drama is quietly explosive. — Greg Braxton
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Pedro Pascal as Clint in Freaky Tales.
(Lionsgate)
There’s a movie out right now that combines an NBA star-turned-kung fu master, the gory murder of Nazis, teen punks, racist police and old-school rap battles. “Freaky Tales,” which is now streaming on Prime Video, is a pop-culture fever dream from filmmaking duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden that is set in 1987 Oakland, where Fleck grew up, and tells four interconnected stories about underdogs — an aging hit man (Pedro Pascal) and Golden State Warrior Eric “Sleepy” Floyd (Jay Ellis), Gilman Street Punk rockers and freestyle rappers. The film was inspired by Bay Area rapper Too Short’s song of the same name, which appeared on his 1987 album “Born to Mack.” In this week’s Guest Spot, Fleck and Boden discussed the joys of leaning into the bizarre, what they’re watching and more. — Yvonne Villarreal
You have worked together for more than two decades, on projects like “Half Nelson” and “Captain Marvel.” The idea for “Freaky Tales” has been swirling, at least in Ryan’s mind, since age 10. What was it like to tap into the enthusiasm of your younger selves and lean into the chaotic fun?
Fleck: We’ve LOVED movies and HATED Nazis for as long as we can remember. So, yeah, it was a total blast to tap into those visceral feelings of both celebration and joy for a time and place and specific type of movie, while also tapping into violent rage against hateful motherf—.
Unpack your process of deciding which historical events would set the foundation for the film and how you would create your fictional world from there.
Boden: The movie walks a path with one foot in a familiar world and the other foot in a wildly alternate dimension. The title is inspired by a Too Short song, so we knew his music would be a big part of the story. It was when Ryan introduced me to “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” this battle-rap song between Too Short and Danger Zone, that our version of “Freaky Tales” started to fall into place. I just loved that this 20-something hip-hop star had the confidence to put a song on his album where these two women totally cut him down. So part of “Freaky Tales” becomes our reimagining of how this song might have come to be.
Fleck: Everyone in the Bay Area who was alive then remembers the Sleepy Floyd game where he went off against the Lakers. I heard the game on the radio as a kid, and the Warriors play-by-play was electrifying — the announcer literally shouted “Sleepy Floyd is Superman!” and that resonated for years in my imagination. We knew “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd” had to be the basis for a heroic story as well. 924 Gilman in Berkeley in the ’80s was a world I always knew about peripherally but got more interested in over time. The events that inspired the first chapter we only learned about in recent years, and they helped us pull together the final missing pieces of our East Bay underdog puzzle. Gilman was an anti-racist, anti-violent punk community that was being harassed by neo-Nazi boneheads, so they decided to fight back. We pushed the fight way beyond reality, of course, and invented our own love story around it.
It must have been surreal to have Too Short and Sleepy Floyd perform cameos in the film. What’s a memory that stands out from those days of production?
Boden: We always knew we wanted to pepper the movie with amazing Bay Area cameos, but getting Too Short and Sleepy Floyd in the mix was particularly memorable. Too Short played Ben Mendelsohn’s cop partner, which was a particular treat for Ben, who was as big a Too Short fan as anyone on set. It was so fun watching Ben Mendelsohn fanboy over Too Short! We had Sleepy at Giant Burger congratulating Jay Ellis (playing Sleepy) after his record-breaking 4th quarter. Apparently, each take, Sleepy would go up to Jay and improvise an entirely fresh new way to fawn over how amazing “Sleep Floyd” was! He was cracking Jay up, and Jay could barely keep a straight face!
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
Fleck: “Once Upon a Time in Queens” (2021). This was an ESPN “30 for 30” series about the 1986 Mets that I only recently watched, and it knocked me out. Similar to “Freaky Tales,” which is set in 1987, the show beautifully transports you to a special time and place. I was a 10-year-old kid living in California, but I’ll never forget watching Game 6 of that World Series. This show had me in tears. Pure magic.
Boden: “I’m Still Here” [VOD]. Yes, it was nominated for multiple Academy Awards last year, and even won best international film. And yet I still find that most people I talk to haven’t seen this movie. I was just floored by it — the texture of the world and the family, how lived-in the relationships felt, how immediate and disorienting the pivotal disruption to it all; and so very relevant. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you must.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the film or TV show you return to again and again?
Fleck: “Dazed and Confused” [Prime Video]. I first saw this movie in high school and wished it would never end. But that’s what we love about movies: We get older, and they stay the same age.
Boden: “Running on Empty” [VOD]. I like a good cry. And this movie provides it for me every time without fail. Even better, it’s not a tragic cry but a good old-fashioned hopeful cry. I mean … the ending! And that scene between Annie Pope (Christine Lahti) and her own father! So good. I first saw it when I was younger than its lead, River Phoenix, [who was] 18. But even then, the film not only drew me to him as a character but also to the complex emotional mazes of his parents. [Screenwriter] Naomi Foner and [director] Sidney Lumet absolutely killed it!
Break down
Times staffers chew on the pop culture of the moment — love it, hate it or somewhere in between
A still from “Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things the First Shadow.”
(Netflix)
“Stranger Things” fans eagerly awaiting the fifth and final season of the sci-fi phenomenon can momentarily appease their anticipation with “Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things The First Shadow” (Netflix), the documentary that goes behind the scenes of the buzzy new stage show.
Written by Kate Trefry, a writer on the series since its second season, the play is a prequel that’s set in 1959 Hawkins, Ind., when Dr. Brenner is just getting his start in his lab and Bob Newby, Joyce Maldonado and Jim Hopper are in their last year of high school. It’s also a connector of sorts for the series’ fourth and fifth seasons, since the play introduces a new student named Henry Creel, who arrives alongside a wave of shocking crimes around town. But even if you haven’t seen an episode of the hit series — and are unfamiliar with the phrases “The Mind Flayer” or “The Upside Down” — the behind-the-scenes film is still a compelling watch. It captures the race-against-the-clock endeavor to debut the ambitious stage production on the West End last year, complete with the numerous scary and spectacular moments intended to enthrall the franchise’s most die-hard fans. (I recently spoke with Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher, who designed the play’s illusions and visual effects and are, of course, featured in the documentary — funnily enough, one of the trickiest bits in the play is the on-demand nosebleed.)
Netflix released the documentary in time for the opening of the play on Broadway earlier this week, likely as a tactic to entice casual “Stranger Things” viewers to purchase tickets to see the stage show in either London or New York. But I found it thrilling to watch a cast and creative team build a production from the ground up and overcome the countless hurdles that come with putting on a show — even one as moneyed as this. — Ashley Lee
April 25 (UPI) — The Department of Justice said Friday that a federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against a Maryland man on charges of conspiring to support armed separatist militias in Cameroon.
Cameroon national and Maryland resident Eric Tataw surrendered to custody and was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday.
According to Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, “The defendant is alleged to have ordered horrific acts of violence, including severing limbs, against Cameroonian civilians in support of a violent secessionist movement.”
The DOJ said in a statement that the violent armed groups are fighting to form a new nation called “Ambazonia” in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland said in a statement, “Tataw and his co-conspirators masterminded and financially supported a vicious scheme to overthrow a foreign government. They resorted to an unthinkable level of violence while instilling fear in innocent victims to advance their political agenda.”
The militia are known as “Amba Boys.”
Prosecutors allege that Tataw and others “sought to raise funds for the Amba Boys to finance violent attacks in Cameroon.”
They say Tataw allegedly also called “for the murder, kidnapping, and maiming of civilians and the destruction of public, educational, and cultural property in Cameroon.”
Prosecutors further allege Tataw directed maiming torture of Cameroon civilians by severing limbs. Tataw allegedly referred to himself as “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation.
Tataw faces up to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the militias and five years on each of four counts “of interstate communication of a threat to harm.”
The World Food Program said Friday that its food stocks for families in Gaza have been depleted. File Photo by Haitham Imad/EPA-EFE
April 25 (UPI) — The United Nations World Food Program announced Friday that all of its food stocks for families in Gaza have run out.
“Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip,” the program wrote in a press release, “These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days.”
WFP then stated that the kitchens have served as the “the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza,” and added “WFP has also supported bakeries to distribute affordable bread in Gaza,” but that all 25 WFP-supported bakeries closed,” in March “as wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out.”
As the Israel-Hamas conflict has continued, Israel has maintained a blockade, which has stopped all humanitarian or commercial supplies into Gaza for over seven weeks, with all main border crossing points closed.
Over 127,000 tons of food assistance, “enough to feed one million people for up to four months, is positioned at aid corridors and is ready to be brought into Gaza by WFP and food security partners as soon as borders reopen,” WFP explained.
WFP said this is the longest closure ever imposed on the Gaza Strip, which has driven food prices up 1,400% when compared to during the cease-fire, and in combination with the end of its food stocks, it especially impacts “vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.”
The organization has concluded that the “situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point,” and unless “urgent action to open borders for aid and trade to enter,” is made, WFP may have to pull out.
Deputy Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in a car bomb explosion Friday. Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE
April 25 (UPI) — A top Russian general died Friday in a car bombing, on the same day President Donald Trump‘s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and a day after Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The car blast occurred in the city of Balashikha, which killed Deputy Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik. Russia’s Investigative Committee also confirmed the explosion was caused by an IED loaded with shrapnel.
Envoy Witkoff, who was in Moscow with Putin at reportedly around the same time to discuss a cease-fire agreement regarding Russia’s war on Ukraine, has not publicly commented on the incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyannounced Friday on social media that it just completed rescue operations in Kyiv after Russian attacked the city Thursday. He said 12 people were killed and almost 90 were injured, with over 30 still hospitalized, “including those with severe injuries and amputations.”
Zelensky alleged the missile used in the attack was North Korean in origin, and “contained at least 116 components sourced from other countries, and most of them, unfortunately, were manufactured by American companies.”
He went on to thank those around the world who have provided help and support, insisted Russia “must immediately and unconditionally agree to a full ceasefire,” but added that while Ukraine “agreed to President Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in the skies, at sea, and on the front lines 45 days ago,” and that Ukraine made a proposal to get Russia to stop attacks on civilian targets, “Russia rejects all of this.”
“Pressure on Russia is necessary,” Zelensky said.
On the same day as the attack, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was interviewed by CBS News, and said Moscow was “ready to reach a deal” on ending the war in Ukraine but that there were still some specific points that needed to be “fine-tuned.”
CHRIS EUBANK SR has opened up on the heartbreaking reason behind his rise to the very top of boxing.
Senior, 58, is vehemently against son Chris Junior’s showdown with Conor Benn on Saturday night.
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Chris Eubank Sr outlined his heartbreaking journey to becoming world champion
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Eubank Sr wanted to become world champion to gain his elder brothers’ respect
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Eubank Jr and Benn face off at the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s fightCredit: Getty
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Eubank’s brother Simon, with his boxer son Harlem as a toddler
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Eubank started boxing to get the respect of his brothers
The British boxing legend maintains the fight should not happen, insisting his son dropping down to 160lbs is “dangerous”.
The former two-weight world champion fears his 35-year-old lad’s weight drop risks the same damage that left his older brother Simon paying the ultimate price for a career in boxing.
Simon lost 20 brutal fights, 11 of them by stoppage, before his tragic death in September 2023.
In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Senior has now told the heartbreaking story behind his own journey into boxing.
He reveals the sole reason he took up the sport in the first place was to gain respect from his elder brothers Peter and Simon.
He says: “Boxing became important to me because it was the way in which I was going to win the respect of my brothers.
“That’s the reason why it was important to me. Because I could do everything else.
“My brothers used to give me a really hard time, beyond what I can actually express to you. And they were doing this because I was intelligent.
“And this is why I got my bottom roasted by them all the time.”
He added: “I loved my brothers, and they despised me. I couldn’t work it out then. Why?
Chris Eubank Sr astonishingly says his son’s boxing licence should be ‘REVOKED’ after slapping Conor Benn with an egg
“To one I was a fool, to the other I was an idiot, and to one, he didn’t even speak to me.
“That was the most brutal of psychological beatings, when someone ignores you.
“I’m talking about you’re in the room and never spoke to me. Never spoke to me.
“One day I’m going to cry about that, because I’m getting close to that.”
Both Peter and Simon were boxers, and it was aged 14 that Senior decided he would follow suit.
He had endured a tough upbringing, and was suspended 18 times in one year from his secondary school in Peckham, claiming he was trying to protect his classmates from bullies.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn
THE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st Century
Familial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.
There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.
SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.
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Earning respect
At 14, Senior decided he would step into the ring and give boxing his best shot – whether he was any good or not.
He recalls: “At 14, I’m saying to myself, even if I’m no good at boxing, they’re going to respect me because it takes so much courage to get into the ring and box.
“I was standing on a table in a home in North Wales in a place called Llangollen, and I was dancing in the mirror.
“At 14 years old, you know, you’ve got all that energy, and I was looking in the mirror like, you know what, I’m going to be a fighter.”
He decided he would be world champion. And he stuck to his word.
Ten years later, 24-year-old Senior beat Nigel Benn to win the WBO Middleweight Championship.
Reaching the top
Senior continues: “When I fought Benn on the 18th of November, 1990, I won their respect that particular night.”
He admits his brothers were “never” kind to him, but ultimately it acted as the driving force behind his rise to boxing royalty.
He recalls: “Brother, you are a really serious tosspot. That’s what I got from them.
“But all of this has done nothing but drive me to be better and better and better.”
Despite the complex relationship he had with the pair, Senior still holds an enormous place in his heart for his two brothers.
Speaking at the time of Simon’s death, Senior told SunSport: “Simon saved my life once. He is the one who truly loved me and that is why I recited Corinthians 1:13 at his funeral.
‘Love is most powerful’
“It talks about how love is the most powerful of all things, and I recited that for him and for what he did for me.
“In many respects, it is mercy that he has left us. He is truly at rest now.”
Senior blames boxing for Simon’s tragic death, choking back tears as he reveals his brother battled frontal lobe dementia, and had son Harlem feeding him with a baby bottle in his final days.
He tells SunSport: “My son probably walks around at around 180lbs and he has to boil himself down to 160lbs.
“People don’t understand what it means for Junior to get down to 160lbs, at his age. They don’t understand the drying out.
“Junior is now 35 and trying to get down to 160lbs and I know what that feels like. I know about the dehydration and the damage it does to fighters.
‘It will be a car crash’
“I am more concerned about that than anything else. I don’t want my son getting down to 160lbs. And that is why I have spoken about people trying to murder my boy by boiling him down to 157 lbs.”
He adds: “I would be in my son’s corner if he was fighting at the right weight. But it mocks everything I stand for and fought for.
“I am his dad and the fact he has chosen not to listen means all I can do is step back and watch the car crash – because it will be a car crash.
“He doesn’t understand that this is boxing and you lose your faculties, this is dangerous.”
Eubank Jr‘s promoter Ben Shalom also reiterated to SunSport that the original fight scheduled for 2022 “should never” have been at 157, though he maintains his fighter will make weight at 160lbs on Friday’s weigh-in.
Courtesy of a rehydration clause in the fight deal, Eubank Jr can only weigh in at a maximum of 170lbs at a 10am weigh-in on Saturday morning, hours before he takes to the ring in one of the most fiercely anticipated British fights in years.
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Watch Sun Sport’s full preview of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn – with former world champion George Groves, Chris Eubank Sr and Harlem Eubank – on our YouTube channel.
Speaking to BBC after his heroic first victory at the World Championships, Ben Woollaston said: “I’m just in shock really, I never thought this day would ever come, winning a match at The Crucible.
“To do it against Mark, who after Ronnie is the King of the Crucible, it’s an amazing moment for me.
“I don’t know if it made it harder us playing against each other.
“He started the match with a century and I thought: Oh here we go.
“I was surprised he broke down a few times. I think I was just a little more positive knowing he wasn’t quite at his best.”
Crucible shock – Mark Selby is OUT!
Mark Selby 8-10 Ben Woollaston
Mark Selby becomes the fourth seed to depart these championships already having been knocked out by fellow Leicester man and good pal Ben Woollaston!
Woollaston beating his boyhood hero to reach the last-16 for the very first time!
The four-time champ and world number four is OUT!
Mark Selby 8-9 Ben Woollaston (37-66)
Terrific from Woollaston! Sensational shot on the green to get him down for the remaining red and he takes it too.
His lead is now 29 with just 22 points on the table.
Selby comes back to the table and needs two snookers. If anyone can, though….
Mark Selby 8-9 Ben Woollaston (37-49)
A snooker from Woollaston and four points more to his tally!
Free ball for him too and this has presented itself with an unbelievable opportunity to seal the victory!
Mark Selby 8-9 Ben Woollaston (37-45)
The break comes to a stop at 32 and he’s eight points clear with just the one red remaining.
Hugely important times ahead now for both players as we tick into the third day for this match, which started on Wednesday and will finish on Friday!
Mark Selby 8-9 Ben Woollaston (37-38)
It’s 25 so far in the break for Woollaston as he noses ahead in the frame.
Surrendering members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are escorted by Rwandan soldiers after crossing the border from Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to Gisenyi, Rwanda in January. File Photo by Moise Niyonzima/EPA-EFE
April 24 (UPI) — The Presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced a cease-fire between its government and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
“By mutual agreement, both parties reaffirm their commitment to an immediate cessation of hostilities, the categorical rejection of all hate speech and intimidation, and call on all local communities to respect these commitments,” both said in a press release Wednesday.
The peace agreement followed talks enabled by Qatar, whose Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted to X Thursday that it “encourages both parties to continue this dialogue in a constructive spirit, working towards an agreement that aligns with the aspirations of the Congolese people for peace and development.”
The two sides had first met in Qatar in March, and both expressed gratitude Wednesday “to the State of Qatar for its continued efforts and unwavering commitment to facilitating these peace talks, which contribute to advancing dialogue and promoting mutual understanding.”
The truce if successful could bring peace to eastern DRC, where 7,000 people have been reportedly killed since January.
Conflict in the mineral-rich region has been active between the DRC government and the M23 since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, but it was in January that M23 fighters captured the city of Goma, where the United Nations then declared a humanitarian crisis in February.
It is unclear how long or successful this current ceasefire may be, and there have been several arranged since 2021, but none so far have lasted.
The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday ruled that French authorities failed to protect three women from rape when they were minors. File Photo courtesy of the European Court of Human Rights
April 24 (UPI) — The European Court of Human Rights announced Thursday it has determined that French law and practice failed to protect three minors from sexual assault.
In court documents released by the ECHR, each of the three plaintiffs alleged that “investigating authorities and the domestic courts had failed to protect the applicants, who had complained of acts of rape and had been aged only 13, 14 and 16 at the relevant dates, in an adequate manner.”
The ECHR found the “French State had failed to fulfil its duty to apply, in practice, a criminal-law system capable of punishing non-consensual sexual acts,” and that it “was not called upon to rule on the criminal liability of those who had perpetrated those acts and that its findings could not therefore be interpreted as an opinion on the guilt of the accused in the respective cases.”
The applicants filed their suit in order to move France to “enact and apply criminal law provisions that effectively punish rape reported by teenage girls below the age of majority.”
All three plaintiffs allege that their “status as minors and their situation of vulnerability at the time of the events were not adequately taken into account.”
Two of the applicants further purport that “authorities did not promptly comply with their obligation to investigate and punish the perpetrators of the offenses they had complained of,” one of whom also alleges she was “subjected to secondary victimization and discriminatory treatment” during criminal proceedings.
The ruling found that France failed to meet its obligations under Articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR, which relate to “prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment” and the “right to respect for private life.” The ECHR also ruled that France has failed to meet its obligation under Article 14, which is “prohibition of discrimination.”
Each of the plaintiffs will receive financial compensation as part of the judgment, with the remainder of the claims dismissed.
A UK seaside town has been named the best place to keep your kids entertained, beating the likes of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando to the top spot
13:58, 24 Apr 2025Updated 13:58, 24 Apr 2025
The most popular destination is right here in the UK(Image: Richard Klune via Getty Images)
If you’re looking for a weekend getaway that will keep your kids entertained without breaking the bank, look no further than our very own UK shores. A recent study has crowned one British seaside town as the ultimate destination to pry your children away from their screens.
AttractionTickets.com’s latest research reveals the top family-friendly destinations for 2025 that are so engaging, your little ones might just forget about their gadgets.
The ticket experts sifted through hundreds of thousands of reviews from over 160 popular holiday spots to identify the places most loved by parents and their children. And guess what? Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK took the top spot.
It outperformed even international heavyweights like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, securing second and third place respectively in terms of their ability to bust boredom. This goes to show that you don’t always need to jet off to far-flung locations to create unforgettable memories, reports the Express.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach boasts 10 rollercoasters suitable for both kids and adults, along with five indoor rides for those unpredictable British weather days. Plus, there’s Nickelodeon Land where your kids can meet their favourite characters and enjoy 12 themed rides, from Spongebob to Paw Patrol.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the perfect spot for kids(Image: onfilm via Getty Images)
And don’t worry if your little ones aren’t tall enough for some rides – there are four attractions perfect for any age group.
Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com, commented: “Nowadays, keeping children entertained on holiday is more challenging than ever. With many kids accustomed to the instant gratification of iPad games and interactive television shows, traditional holiday moments, such as lounging by the pool or playing on the beach, often aren’t enough to hold their attention.
“It’s no surprise that destinations such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Walt Disney World, and Universal Orlando Resort top the list, as they each offer high levels of interactivity and imagination.
“For parents, that means fewer screen-time battles and more meaningful moments together.
“If you’re hoping to break the iPad habit this summer, the data speaks for itself – swap Wi-Fi for rides, tower drops, or historical activities. Whether you’re planning a staycation or a long-haul escape, real-world excitement is the key to banishing your children’s boredom in 2025.”
Top 20 holidays ‘most likely to banish your kids’ boredom’ in 2025
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been indicted on corruption charges in connection to his purported role in his former son-in-law’s employment at an airline company.
The two are usually working together to cover football and, more specifically, the Champions League on TNT Sports.
One fan fumed: “Why are Ally McCoist and Darren Fletcher doing snooker commentary?! Are there no snooker players that can do it?”
Shaun Murphy congratulated on ‘winning 2025 World Snooker Championship’ after ‘magnificent’ trick shot to win frame
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Ally McCoist prefers commentating on snooker to footballCredit: PA
A second complained: “Jesus Christ, Ally McCoist is doing the snooker now as well.”
A third added: “TNT sports having Ally McCoist and that Darren Fletcher hosting the snooker is like having Willy Thorne and Steve Davis hosting Match of the Day.”
While another hailed: “Can we have Ally McCoist commentate on every sport? It’s been terrific viewing.”
One suggested: “Don’t watch it on TNT if you don’t like it.”
WE are BACK at the Crucible for another thrilling fortnight of snooker action!
There will be a new champion this year after reigning champ Kyren Wilson crashed out in the first round after a stunning performance from Lei Peifan.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will take to the snooker table after missing recent tournaments, while world No 1 Judd Trump heads into the tournament as the favourite.
The likes of Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and John Higgins are also expected to be contenders.
The aftermath of a Russian drone strike on a bus in the south-central Ukrainian city of Marhanets in Dnipropetrovsk on Wednesday, which killed nine people and injured 30. Photo by State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA-EFE
April 23 (UPI) — At least nine people were killed and 30 injured early Wednesday after a Russian attack drone struck a bus in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets in southern Dnipropetrovsk province, authorities said.
Provincial governor Serhii Lysak said in an update on social media that the bus was transporting employees of a local company when it was targeted by what he described as a “kamikaze” drone.
“The enemy attack has claimed nine lives. My condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The number of casualties is constantly growing. As of now, 30 people are known to have been injured,” Lyask said.
Lysak added that a 40-year-old man and a 48-year-old man were injured in a separate Russian attack on a village just northwest of the city of Synelnykove that also set ablaze the premises of an agricultural business.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said three people were injured in the eastern and southern suburbs of Poltava after a large-scale drone assault against civilian targets, including residential buildings, businesses and warehousing.
The city of 272,000 people sustained power cuts overnight as a result of the attack.
The latest Russian attacks came after a wave of assaults across the country from Odessa in the southwest to Kharkiv in the northeast on Tuesday killed at least four people and injured 40.
Meanwhile, senior British, French, German, Ukrainian and American officials were gathering in London for talks Wednesday aimed at delivering a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia amid a report from Axios that there is a “final” U.S. deal on the table that appears to be heavily weighted in Russia’s favor.
Under the five-point plan, Russian sovereignty over Crimea would be recognized along with de facto recognition over the territory of four Ukrainian provinces occupied after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, effectively freezing the front-line as it stands with President Vladimir Putin retaining virtually all the ground taken by force apart from two small areas in Kherson and Kharkiv provinces.
Russia also gets a guarantee that Ukraine will not be admitted to NATO, that sanctions will be lifted and a promise of enhanced economic cooperation with the United States, specifically with regard to energy and industrial deals.
Ukraine gets a “robust” European-led security guarantee, but the arrangement, which is thin on detail, makes no mention of U.S. involvement.
The strategically key Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be designated as Ukrainian, but run by the United States, with the electricity it generates being shared by Ukraine and Russia.
The plan was drawn up by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff when he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 11, according to Axios.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff, who had been due to attend the London talks, pulled out to concentrate on direct negotiations in Moscow this week, leaving Ukraine envoy Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the lone U.S. representative.
Kellogg played down the significance, saying the London talks were “technical meetings.”
